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FANUARY 24, 1908
The Commoner
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tions whenever they could secure instruction
or their candidate. Several who are opposed
ito instructions this year were demanding in
structions in 1904.
Dishonesty is no better in politics than it
in business and it is dishonest to conceal one's
real reasons for opposing instructions. Instruc
tions are DEMOCRATIC and they are HONEST.
Lot the instructions begin at the primary and
continue up to county and state conventions.
javery delegate to the national convention ougnt
ito be instructed, then a nomination will come,
not from the delegates, but from the people.
pAs, however, many questions may arise in a con
Ivention which can not be covered by instructions
Sit Is not sufficient to have a good platform and
(binding instruction the delegates should bo
fin hearty sympathy with the instructions. It is
ifuiot safe to fill up a convention with delegates
who arc bound by instructions to vote right but
who counsel with, and lend their influence to,
the enemy.
This is not a time for personal compliments:
p are engaged in a campaign where great in
terests are at stake. The public welfare must
lot be sacrificed to please any one. As the
roice of the people ought to be the voice of
te government, so the voice of the rank and
lie ought to be the voice of the party. Let the
will of the voters be expressed on tho platform
find on the candidates and then let delegates
e chosen who faithfully reflect the sentiment
cpressed in the platform and instructions.
oooo
DEMOCRATIC DINNERS
Mr. Bryan has been attending more ban
quets. They seem to increase in number and
Enthusiasm. The first was at Guthrie, Okla.,
iWhich was held in the evening after an address
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the young state crowded about the tables and
hch speaker pledged Oklahoma's electoral vote
A large public meeting was held at Wichita
der the auspices of the Bryan club, just be
fore the banquet, and several meetings were
ttield in Texas just afterward. Everywhere
thjroughout the portion of the south visited, the
amocrats leei comment or national victory.
Mr. Bryan celebrated Jackson day with tho
'Jacksonian club at Omaha, on the 6th, with the
LJifferson club, Chicago, on the 8th .and with
tiie Bryan Democracy of Danville, 111., on tho
9th. The attendance at each of these banquets
as measured by the capacity of the hall and
peakers of prominence discussed pending ques
tions and told of democrats returning to tho
fold and of republicans who promised to sup
5port the ticket.
The last of the series of banquets was held
Lincoln on January 15. It will be described
more at length on another page. One thousand
nd two people sat down to the tables, while as
many more occupied seats in the gallery. The
speakers from outside the state were Governor
Haskell of Oklahoma, Governor Broward of
JMorida, ex-Senator Patterson of Colorado, Hon.
vt B. Sullivan of Iowa, and Hon. Henry Warrum
f Indianapolis.
Within a month the democrats of Nebraska
Aave attended three democratic banquets, and a
ptai or some 2,700 were present. This is a
retty good start for the campaign of 1908.
eep an eye on Nebraska.
OOOO
ORGANIZING IN NEBRASKA
The democratic state committee for Nebras
ka met in Lincoln in consultation with a largo
number of democrats January 15. The conven
tion, which will elect delegates to the national
convention, was called for March 5 at Omaha.
Christian Gruenther of Columbus was chosen
secretary and A. S. Tibbetts of Lincoln treasurer
pf the state committee. A state Bryan club was
prganized, this club to be known as "The Bryan
Volunteers of Nebraska" with an initial mem-
Sbership of more than 1,000. A preliminary
campaign fund of $500 was raised besides the
tmoney pledged as membership in the "Bryan
Volunteers."
Referring to this organization the Omaha
World-Herald says: "The committee working
with the assembled democrats adopted and com
pleted plans for a state organization to be known
ras -me tfryan volunteers r Nebraska." While
Ithe organization is essentially democratic in pur
pose, tne pian or organization does not limit the
?inembership to avowed democrats, but, throws
pen Its doors to men of all pplitical affiliations
mo desire to become affiliated with the fight to
le made this fall for Mr. Bryan.
The plan of the organization as announced
in its preamble to tho report submitted by tho
subcommittee on organization is Ho advance
tho principles of democracy as taught by Thomas
Jefferson, defended by Andrew Jackson and ad
vocated by W. J. Bryan.'
"All persons who can subscribo to this plat
form or who can believe In Bryan and Bryanism
are invited to enroll themselves as members of
this league.
"It is contemplated that the state club shall
become the parent of countless subsidiary clubs
to be organized in every county, community or
precinct of the state. The membership in tho
state organization costs $5, with annual duos of
a like amount. The money thus raised is to
be devoted to the cause of the campaign. .Mem
bership in any of the offspring clubs may be
whatever the local members of the clubs choose
to make It.
"The officers of tho club as elected at the .
organization are Arthur Mullen of O'Neill, presi
dent; C. M. Gruenther of Columbus, secretary;
E. O. Gilbert of York, treasurer. The vice presi
dents from each of tho congressional districts
are as follows: First, II. II. Hanks, Nebraska
City; Second, T. J. O'Connor, Omaha; Third,
Dr. D. J. Gates, Albion; Fourth, C. M. Lemar,
Wahoo; Fifth, F. T. Swanson, Clay Conlcr;
Sixth, Jess Gandy, Broken Bow."
OOOO
ERIE COUNTY DEMOCRATS
The Buffalo (N. Y.) Times of January 1G
prints the following:
At a largely attended meeting of tho demo
cratic general committee held In tho Brisbane
headquarters at 1 o'clock this afternoon a reso
lution was passed endorsing William J. Bryan
as Erie county's choice for th democratic presi
dential nomination. The motion was seconded
by O. J. Colborn. The committee also pledged
itself to work for the selection of delegates to
tho state convention who would vote for Mr.
Bryan's nomination. The committee declared
in favor, in brief, of an Instructed delegation
from this county.
In the action taken the committee reflects
the sentiment of tho rank and file of the party
of this county. Tho resolutions, presented by
Committeeman Diebold, follow:
Whereas, it is evident that tho sentiment of
the democratic voters of tho county of Erie, New
York, is in favor of the nomination of William
J. Bryan for president by the national democratic
convention to be held at Denver, Colorado, in
July, 1908, and it is their desire that the dele
gates from the c6unty of Erie to that convention
support his candidacy, be it
Resolved, That this democratic general com
mittee of Erie county hereby pledges itself to
the support of William J. Bryan for the nomina
tion for president by the national democratic
convention. And, beit further
Resolved, That when tho delegates from
Erie county to the democratic state convention
are elected they be instructed to vote for dele
gates who will support William Ji Bryan for the
presidential nomination at tho national demo
cratic convention.
General Committeeman Edward M. Mills
of the Twenty-fourth ward moved that a com
mittee composed of National Committeeman Nor
man E. Mack, Chairman William J. Connors of ,
the democratic state committee, Chairman Ed
ward E. Coatsworth of the democratic county
committee and State Committeemen John J.
Kennedy, Henry P. Burgard and Matthew G.
Merzig be appointed to make all necessary ar
rangements for the meeting to be addressed by
the Hon. William J. Bryan in Buffalo on Feb
ruary 12. This resolution was also adopted.
OOOO
NEW YORK DEMOCRATS
A dispatch to the Omaha World-Herald,
under date of New York, January 10, follows:
"Resolutions pledging the support of the Pro
gressive Democratic League to tho candidacy of
William J. Bryan for tho presidency were adopt
ed at a mass meeting held under tho auspices of
the league at Cooper Union tonight. The prin
ciple address was made by Senator Jefferson
Davis of Arkansas. Senator Davis and Senator
Thomas Gore of Oklahoma, who was also a guest
of the league, received ovations as they'appeared
on the platform..
"The resolutions, after reciting that the
rank and file of the democracy of New York
state are practically unanimous for the nomina
tion of Mr. Bryan by the Denver convention and
charging that when he last was the candidate
of the democratic party he was defeated by the
use of corruption funds, states: "Therefore, bo'
it resolved, that wo declare that it Is duo 'allko
to Mr. Bryan himself and to tho Integrity of our
party that ho should be elected to tho high office
of chief magistrate of tho nation and we hereby
pledge to him our support and our aid to that
end."
Tho resolutions were declared unanlmouly
adopted.
A letter of regret from Mayor Johnson of
Clovoland, who had boon Invited to bo present,
was road.
Senator Davis predicted tho nomination and
election of Mr. Bryan. A chango of administra
tion was needed, ho said. The Declaration of
Independence was now, he j?ald, a stranger to
most people and something was wrong with tho
ship of state,
Senator r.ivls said In part: "This is 'an
age of greed and graft. Men havo gone crazy
in the pursuit of dollars. You can not eat mon
ey. There will be no .pocket in your shroud,
Saint Peter won't take It. Where are you go
ing? Where are we drifting as a government?
Ever since this government started there has
boon a light. On one sido men skilled in such
warfare and on the other the plain, common peo
ple. They are wanting you as they never did
before. One sido has captured the government.
It Is Inside tho breastworks, It has amassed all
the money money Is but the means to an ond,
and It opens the door lo everything tho side
in the breastworks has enacted laws that have
given them unusual advantages."
Senator Davis then took up tho tariff, de
claring that the trusts owned one thirty-fifth of
all the wealth In the United States. lie said ho
had recently advocated taking away tho charter
and privileges of trusts as a remedy, and he
defied any lawyer to say the government did not
havo the right to do this.
"Gentlemen," ho said, "if the government
does not destroy tho trusts, the trusts will de
stroy tho government.
"Ninety-seven per cent of tho newspapers
of the country," he declared, "had been subsi
dized by tho trusts.
"Why, down In Arkansas I got them on the
run. Why, down there you can't convict a free
nigger for shooting craps on the testimony of a
newspaper."
"1 don't believe any man on earth ever made
a million dollars honestly," said the senator and
the crowd shouted approval. Senator Davis said
ho would force the judiciary committee of tho
senate to report on his trust bill and he would
continue to be a thorn In Its side, in season and
out of season, until it did report.
IIo knew Bryan, he said, and then added,
raising both arms above his head, reverently,
"God bless that man."
OOOO
KANSAS DEMOCRATS ,
A Topeka, Kan., dispatch dated January 16,
follows: -"The democratic state central com
mittee today selected Hutchinson as tho meeting
place of the convention to elect national dele
gates on February '21. The central committee
will meet February 20 at Hutchinson to fix a
date for a convention to nominate state officers.
Bryan was formally indorsed for president to;
day."
OOOO
TREASON! TREASON! M
-Tho
Philadelphia North-American (rep.)
says: "The New York banks owe the banks
of the country $500,000,000. For a month they
have refused arbitrarily to pay. They actually
indulge in self-praise because they havo con
sented, reluctantly and under pressure, to settle
some sixteen per cent of that debt largely with
the government's money newly deposited with
them. We face now tho Indisputable fact that
all gold 'Importations, all the deposits of treas
ury money, all the questionable bond and debt
certificate deals have been done for one solitary
purpose to put New York in a position to pay
its debts. Let the humiliating admission bo
made frankly. All signs point to easier money.
But wnether or not those signs will be fulfilled
depends upon the will of Wall Street. Tho
country has paid a tremendous blackmail for
permission to resume legitimate business. But
no guarantee is gained that agriculture, com
merce and industry will not be held to ransom
again, and yet again, whenever it suits Wall
Street's pleasure. Until our financial system is
changed American business is at the mercy of
Manhattan's gamblers."
Has the North-American no concern for
the "business interests of the country?" Is it
indifferent to the national honor? Has it turned
traitor to its country that it would make such a
vicious assault upon the -men who permit the
country to exist?
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